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Create and print barcode labels

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Who is this article for?
  • Sellers with general items and inventory permissions. Set permissions in the Square Dashboard.
  • Square for Retail Plus, and Premium subscribers.

    • About printing barcode labels

    Using barcode labels on items can help speed up checkout, as well as back office functions such as inventory counts. You can create and print barcode labels from Square Dashboard or the Square Retail POS app on a compatible iOS device and Square Register.

    Before you begin

    To create barcode labels, you need a compatible barcode label printer and the appropriate label sizes. You can compare compatible barcode printers and label sizes in our Support Center.

    You have three options for creating and printing barcode labels in your Retail POS app:

    • Select a custom list of items.

    • Receive stock through a purchase order. Learn how to View, receive, and adjust inventory.

    • Select a completed or partially received purchase order.

    You can also create barcode labels from your Square Dashboard. 

    Barcode labels can’t be created nor printed from Square Terminal.

    Missing item details, such as price or SKU number, will not appear on the labels. The Square Retail POS app will notify you of missing details before printing. Square Dashboard will display a preview of the labels for your approval before printing. You can also test print a label to validate the formatting.

    Create and print barcode labels

    From the Retail POS app

    You have three options for creating and printing barcode labels from your Retail POS app.

    Option 1: Select a custom list of items

    1. Open the Retail POS app.
    2. Tap Inventory > Stock overview.
    3. Tap Print labels.
    4. Tap on the forward arrow (>) to choose a label template with the type of information you want on the label.
    5. Select the label size that best suits the type of product the labels will be applied to.
    6. Choose the barcode type (SKU or GTIN).
    7. Select a template from the options displayed – price, item name, and variation name can be used.
    8. Use the search bar to find and select items to add to the list.
    9. Tap Print.

    Option 2: Receive stock through a purchase order

    1. Tap Print labels after receiving stock of items.
    2. Tap on the forward arrow (>) to choose a label template with the type of information you want on the label.
    3. Select the label size that best suits the type of product the labels will be applied to.
    4. Choose the barcode type (SKU or GTIN).
    5. Select a template from the options displayed – price, item name, and variation name can be used.
    6. Tap Print.

    Option 3: Select a completed or partially received purchase order

    1. Open the Retail POS app.
    2. Tap Inventory > Purchase orders.
    3. Tap on a received or partially received purchase order.
    4. Tap Print labels.
    5. Tap on the forward arrow (>) to choose a label template with the type of information you want on the label.
    6. Select the label size that best suits the type of product the labels will be applied to.
    7. Choose the barcode type (SKU or GTIN).
    8. Select a template from the options displayed – price, item name, and variation name can be used.
    9. Use the search bar to find and select items to add to the list.
    10. Tap Print.

    From Square Dashboard

    You can print barcode labels from your Item library in Square Dashboard.

    Option 1: Select a category, purchase order, or custom list of items

    1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Items & orders > Items > Item library.
    2. Click the Actions drop-down menu and select Print labels.
    3. Select a label type, location, barcode format and label details.
    4. Click Select by Category, Select from Purchase Order, or Add item.
    5. Select items based on how you chose to print labels. If applicable, click Done.
    6. Click Create Labels.
    7. Click Print Labels Now or Download PDF to save the file on your desktop computer or laptop.

    Option 2: Print a decommissioned label size using Google Chrome

    Review the instructions below to learn how to print decommissioned DYMO label sizes via the Google Chrome web browser. The below instructions are specific to DYMO Label 30346 (½” x 1 ⅞” or 12.7 x 47.67 mm).

    1. Sign in to your Square Dashboard and click Items & orders > Items > Item library.
    2. Click the Actions drop-down menu and select Print labels.
    3. Click Label Type and select Deprecated DYMO 30346 - LW Library Barcode Labels ½ x 1 7/8.
    4. Select a location, barcode format and label details.
    5. Click Add item, select your item(s) and enter the quantity.
    6. Click Create labels > Print Labels Now.
    7. Select DYMO LabelWriter550 as the printer from the Destination drop-down menu.
    8. Set Copies to 1.
    9. Under the More Settings section, make sure that Paper size is 12.7 x 47.67mm.
    10. Set Pages per sheet to 1.
    11. Select Fit to printable area from the Scale drop-down menu.
    12. Click Print.

    View printer queue

    1. Open the Retail POS app.

    2. Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Printers.

    3. View print jobs under the Queue section.

    4. Tap Retry on any failed print jobs, if applicable.

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